Method and apparatus for providing a cyclic supply of sequences proportional to a given fraction of the duration of a working cycle

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a programming process and device which provides a cyclic supply of sequences proportional to a given fractional part of the actual duration of a working cycle, particularly of a machine, such sequence being set by the signals produced by two sensitized units, both of which can be either in a sensitized state or in a nonsensitized state.

States atent [11] 3,2120

[72] Inventor cls m1 [50] Field all h 250/219 Q, Fleury-les-Aul 1 m 219D, 233, 237; 137/624. 15, 624.16 [21] Appl. No. 011,120 [22] Filed May27, 1969 WMEWEWS [45] Patented Nov. 16, 11971 UNITED STATES PATENTS 731Assignee Service D'Ep Industrial fies 2,431,591 11/1947 SnyderJr. et al.250/233 mm 2,994,000 7/1961 Schoppelrey 250/233 1 Flam 3,198,966 8/1965Roberts 250/233 )4 [2g] Pnomy 9, 11 3,286,096 1 1/1966 lFinlay 250/233 XOTHER REFERENCES Moore, Positioning Mechanism, IBM Technical DisclosureBulletin,Vol. 3,N0. 10, March. l9 61,pp. 126-27.

Primary Examiner llames W. Lawrence Assistant ExaminerT. N. Gligsby 54ME 3 M010 AND APPTUS FOR PROM/G A Attorney-Seidel, Gonda & GoldhammevrClr'lClLlfi SUPPLY OF SlFQUENQES l 1 v 1 j l i 1 TRON OW ABS/MIT: Theinvention relates to a programming process 112 WWW s mmwmg m and devicewhich provldes a cycllc supply of sequences pro portional to a gwenfractional part of the actual duration of a [52] ILLS. Cl 250/219 0,working cycle, particularly of a machine, sucl1 sequence beingl37/624.l5, l37/624.l6,250/233, 250/239 set by the signals produced bytwo sensitized units, both of [5 1] m1. lCll G010] 21/30, which can beeither in a sensitized state or in a nonsensitized Golds/36, 11-101,"5/02 state METlHlUlD APPTUS FUR lilltOlNG A CifClLllC SUPPLY 01FSEQUENCES PRQPORTJIONAL TO A GWEN FRAETHGN F THE DUMTHUN OF A WUG CYCLEProgramming units which include signal detectors such as photoemittentcells generally lighted by a pencil of rays and controlled once thelight is cut oh by a mobile screen so as to produce a signal whichprovides a given program, are already well known. Though these devicesofier advantages, their comparatively limited performances in the caseof a short cycle involves inconveniences. As a matter of fact, when thishappens, the change of the detectors state becomes too fast and, inparticular, the frequency of these changes becomes too high.

The object of the invention is to make the duration required for thechange of state of the signal detectors have no effect upon theprogramming and also to cut down the frequency of these changes of statewhatever is the duration of the programming sequence.

The invention relates to this end to a programming process, particularlyfor machines, designed for the cyclical supply of sequences proportionalto a given fractional part of the actual duration of each cycle, inwhich the duration of each sequence is controlled by the informationreceived concerning the state of two sensitized units both of which canbe in two specific states, i.e. sensitized or not sensitized, suchprocess being featured by the fact that the state of each of saidsensitized units is systematically maintained identical to itself duringthe half of the actual duration of each current cycle.

According to another feature of the invention, the sensitized units usedfor all the sequences are so arranged as to change of state during thesame half of the duration of each cycle.

The invention also relates to a device including at least one signaltransmitter so designed as to transmit from a central point signals in anumber of various directions, and also including signal detectors setaround the transmitter along fixed positions, such detectors changingfrom an active state to an inert state according to whether they receiveor do not receive signals from the source, including also meansreceiving information from these detectors, and a screen revolvingaround the transmitter designed to intercept the signals transmitted bythe latter so as to prevent these signals from being received by thedetectors, said revolving screen making one revolution around its axisduring the actual space of time of each cycle to be programmed, andfeatured by the fact said screen is so shaped as to intercept thesignals directed towards each detector during approximately the half ofthe space of time of each cycle.

The invention also relates to machines fitted with a programming deviceaccording to the invention or to any other similar device.

Other uses and advantages of the invention will appear from thedescription made hereunder and from the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 11 is a top plan view of a working-out process of an assemblyaccording to the invention;

MG. 2 is a perspective view of an assembly according to that of FIG. 11;

MG. 3 shows the wiring diagram of a circuit controlled by a photocellunit;

HO. 4 shows, in a synoptic way, the diagram of the circuit whichcontrols the instant and the duration of a program releasing in thecourse of a working cycle.

Fit]. 5 is a diagam showing the process used for obtaining the releasinginformation as from two photocell units.

The programming unit according to the invention is basically formed of(see FIG. I) a fixed cylinder 11 at the inside part of which rotates ascreen 2 having the shape of an arc of circle.

ln the designing example shown, opaque screen 2 is a semicylinder, whichmeans that its angle at the center is l80..

This screen 2 rotates coaxially to cylinder 1 and they include alongtheir axis a light source which is bulb 3.

Cylinder 1 bears on at least one part of its circumference, apertures dregularly spaced out, and in the designing example shown (see FIG. 2)these apertures are set along a 180 angle at the center. They may be setalong several rows, n, for instance, the apertures of each row beingstaggered by l/nnth of pitch with respect to the apertures of thepreceding row. Drum 11, for instance, will bear two rows of aperturesand 4,, the consecutive apertures of each rows forming a 5 angle at thecenter, the apertures of these two rows being staggered by 2,30 min.

All around cylinder 11 and in front of one or several of these aperturesd, are set photocells units preferably made of ptoresistors, in such wayas they can be scanned by the pencil of rays created by source 3 or cutoff by screen 2. Thus, if screen 2 rotates in the direction of arrow Fand if the start of each programming cycle is carried out by using acell placed at origin point M, this cell placed at point M may beconsidered as sensitized from 0 to 180 and cut off from 180 to 0.

It will be noted that, if point M is taken as the point of screen 2 mustbe set at the start of each programming cycle in such way as its rearedge 2, will be in front of point M and its front edge 2 will be infront of point marked 180.

On the other hand, if a photocell is set along N at two pitches from M,such cell N will be sensitized from 10 to 190 and cut off from 190 to10.

Consequently, if rotating screen 2 driven in synchronism with theprogrammed machine, accurate programming information will be obtainedduring the course of each rotation cycle.

Each photocell such as 5 (FIG. 3 for instance is fitted through aresistor bridge R.,, R, on a transistor TR,, the collector of whichoperates a transistor TR, By using standard rules as concerns the stateof the collector signal, when photocell 5 is sensitized, TR, collectordelivers signal 1 and that of TR, delivers signal 0; when cell 5 is cutoff, the collector of TR, delivers signal 0 and that of TR, deliverssignal 1.

if cell 5 is set along direction N of FIG. 11, a signal equal to 1 willbe obtained at output point A of the circuit and a signal 0 at point Bwhen cell 5 is sensitized, i.e. for an angular position of the screen 2ranging from 10 to 190.

0n the other hand, when cell 5 is cut off, i.e. in the case of anangular position ranging from 190 to 10 with respect to screen 2, thesignal is equal to 0 at point: A and at 1 at point B.

The process according to the invention will also provide a signal at agiven instant and during a given period of time in the course of theworking cycle.

So, if for instance a signal starting at an instant of the cyclecorresponding to a 100 angular position of the screen and ending at theinstant of the cycle at which the screen has an angular position of isdesired, this will be obtained merely by setting two photoresistorscells P and Q in such way as their angular positions on cylinder 1 willrespectively be 100 and 150 as from the start of the working cycle.

In this case there is a signal at output point A. which is controlled bycell Q so as 0 so as to obtain a signal equal to 1 from 150 for arotation of the screen ranging from 150 to 330 and a signal will also beused at output point B, of the circuit controlled by cell P, so as toobtain a signal equal to 1 from 280 to 100.

These two signals are then connected with a transistor, so as toconnected a circuit Ni (marked C on FIG. 4). At the output point of thistransistor a signal 1 will be obtained when the two inflowing signalsare equal to 0, i.e. in the: case of a 50 angular displacement of therear part of the screen from position 100 to position 150.

It should be remarked that, in this designing process, the last photocell may be set at point S on fixed drum 1, that is half a pitch before180 position.

During the course of the rotation of the screen, there is thus aninstant at which all the cells set around cylinder 1 are sensitized andan instant at which they are all cut off by screen 2, these cells beingall sensitized when the rear edge 2, of the screen is between theposition corresponding to S and the position corresponding to 180; thesecells being, on the other hand, all cut off when the front edge 2, comesbetween this position S and 180 position.

This feature allows a systematic checking of the correct working of allthe cells; which is carried out by checking whether any cell is not cutoff during their being sensitized altogether and also whether any cellis in short circuit during the simultaneous cutting off. To this end, atthe instant when the sensitizing or the cutting ofl is madesimultaneously, the output of all the cells is connected to a circuitwhich excites a selffed device fitted with a pushrod so as to release anoptical or a sound signal as soon as the circuit is out of order.

The device according to the invention offers many advantages owing tothe simplicity of its construction and to the reliability of itsfunctioning. Besides, the equipment can be easily adjusted according tothe programming desired since releasing orders can be obtained in asuccessive way and according to specified instants merely by fixing thenumber and the angular position of the various cells during the courseof a cycle.

The equipment according to the invention can therefore be used for thecontrol of any type of machine and, eventually, for the programmedcontrol of several machines.

Moreover, this equipment which can be adjusted easily and quickly,memorizes the state in which it was in case of a mechanical stop or afailure of electric current.

Thus, when the machine is restarted, the programming unit will transmitthe orders as from the state in which it was at the instant of the stop,and this owing to the synchronism of the programming unit and of theprogrammed machine, such synchronism being obtained easily by connectingkinematically one of the shafts of the machine with the axis of screen2.

It will be noted also that this equipment which is designed for a verylong use is extremely accurate since by spacing out of two consecutivecells in a same row by an angle of 5, for instance, it is possible toobtain with n rows of apertures a range of programming facilities every5/n.

This accuracy may of course be improved by increasing the number of rowsof apertures as well as by increasing the diameter of the drum.

It is obvious that, in the equipment according to the invention, theaperture will all be made on fixed drum 1, but that some of them onlywill be provided with photocells so as to meet the requirements of agiven program.

Naturally, in the case several information signals must be given for thesame angular position, one cell only will be used.

The invention of course, is not restricted to the designing exampleshereinabove described and shown, from which other methods and designingprocess can be envisaged which remain within the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

l. A process for providing a cyclic supply of programmed sequencesproportional to a predetermined fraction of the actual duration of eachcomplete cycle of a processwherein a work sequence is systematicallydependent upon the combined states, at a given instance, of two sensibleunits, each of these two sensible units having two possible outputcharac' teristics, the improvement comprising maintaining said twosensible units in a first characteristic output for half of each workingcycle and maintaining said two sensible units in a second characteristicoutput for the remaining time length of each working cycle.

2. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein all of the" comprisingone centrally positioned transmitter for transmrtttng signals in severalrrections, a plurality of signal detectors spaced about the transmitterat predetermined positions, said detectors being binary and having meansto change the state of their output depending upon whether or not theydetect the signals from said transmitter, a plurality of logic means forreceiving output data from a chosen pair of detectors to indicate thechange in state, and a rotatable screen positioned between saidtransmitter and detectors, said screen being nontransmissive of saidsignals so as to intercept the signals transmitted by transmitter andprevent the detection by detectors, said rotatable screen making onecomplete rotation around its axis for each cycle, said screensurrounding the transmitter through of arc and intercepting signalstransmitted to said detector during one-half of each cycle.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein a rotatable screen isconnected to rotate in synchronism with an automatic machine to becontrolled by said apparatus.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein all of the signaldetectors excited by the transmitter are set at maximum for half of thespace surrounding the signal transmitter.

7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein, for a sequence having aduration longer than one-half of the duration of the cycle, the signaldetectors which determine the beginning and end of a sequence arepositioned to be controlled one by the front edge of the screen and theother by the rear edge of the screen.

8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein the detectors excited bythe transmitter signals are positioned in the same plane as thetransmitter.

9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein the transmitter is anaxial light source and the signal detectors are photosensitive devicesspaced in a ring about said light source so as to be illuminatedthereby, and the rotatable screen is an opaque, semicylindrical screen.

10. Apparatus in accordance with claim 9 in which the photosensitivedevices are positioned in front of apertures regularly spaced out on thefixed screen.

1 1. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein there are providedmeans for determining that all detectors have the same output state atthe instant when the two units are simultaneously receiving the samesignals from said transmitter.

12. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein a signal detector ispositioned to be controlled by the rotatable screen when all the signaldetectors initiated by the same transmitter are in the same binarystate, the said detector being connected to the checking unit, achecking unit connected to each of the detectors determining the programsequences, thereby said checking unit simultaneously checks the reliablefunctioning of these detectors, first when all are activated by thetransmitter, and second when none of said detectors are activated by thetransmitter.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE rIERTHICATE OF CORRECTiGN D d November 161971 Patent No. 3 l,26'+

Inventor(s) Francis Bonneric It is certified that error appears in theabove-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are herebycorrected 'as shown below:

Change "the filing date from "May 27, 1969" to March 27, 1969 Signed andsealed this 23rd day of May 1972.

(SEAL) A'ttest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Commissioner of PatentsAttesting Officer USCOMM-DC 603764 69 '"ORM PO-lOSO (10-69) v: u.sGOVERNMENT HUNTING OFFICE 195a o-ass-s34

1. A process for providing a cyclic supply of programmed sequencesproportional to a predetermined fraction of the actual duration of eachcomplete cycle of a process wherein a work sequence is systematicallydependent upon the combined states, at a given instance, of two sensibleunits, each of these two sensible units having two possible outputcharacteristics, the improvement comprising maintaining said twosensible units in a first characteristic output for half of each workingcycle and maintaining said two sensible units in a second characteristicoutput for the remaining time length of each working cycle.
 2. A processin accordance with claim 1 wherein all of the sensible units are subjectto the same characteristic output changes during the same half of theactual duration of the working cycle.
 3. A process in accordance withclaim 2 including the step of determining at a given instant of thecycle that the output characteristics of all of the sensible units havethe same output characteristic.
 4. Apparatus for providing a cyclicsupply of sequences proportional to a given fraction of the duration ofa working cycle comprising one centrally positioned transmitter fortransmitting signals in several directions, a plurality of signaldetectors spaced about the transmitter at predetermined positions, saiddetectors being binary and having means to change the state of theiroutput depending upon whether or not they detect the signals from saidtransmitter, a plurality of logic means for receiving output data from achosen pair of detectors to indicate the change in state, and arotatable screen positioned between said transmitter and detectors, saidscreen being nontransmissive of said signals so as to intercept thesignals transmitted by transmitter and prevent the detection bydetectors, said rotatable screen making one complete rotation around itsaxis for each cycle, said screen surrounding the transmitter through180* of arc and intercepting signals transmitted to said detector duringone-half of each cycle.
 5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 whereina rotatable screen is connected to rotate in synchronism with anautomatic machine to be controlled by said apparatus.
 6. Apparatus inaccordance with claim 4 wherein all of the signal detectors excited bythe transmitter are set at maximum for half of the space surrounding thesignal transmitter.
 7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein, fora sequence having a duration longer than one-half of the duration of thecycle, the signal detectors which determine the beginning and end of asequence are positioned to be controlled one by the front edge of thescreen and the other by the rear edge of the screen.
 8. Apparatus inaccordance with claim 4 wherein the detectors excited by the transmittersignals are positioned in the same plane as the transmitter. 9.Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein the transmitter is an axiallight source and the signal detectors are photosensitive devices spacedin a ring about said light source so as to be illuminated thereby, andthe rotatable screen is an opaque, semicylindrical screen.
 10. Apparatusin accorDance with claim 9 in which the photosensitive devices arepositioned in front of apertures regularly spaced out on the fixedscreen.
 11. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein there areprovided means for determining that all detectors have the same outputstate at the instant when the two units are simultaneously receiving thesame signals from said transmitter.
 12. Apparatus in accordance withclaim 6 wherein a signal detector is positioned to be controlled by therotatable screen when all the signal detectors initiated by the sametransmitter are in the same binary state, the said detector beingconnected to the checking unit, a checking unit connected to each of thedetectors determining the program sequences, thereby said checking unitsimultaneously checks the reliable functioning of these detectors, firstwhen all are activated by the transmitter, and second when none of saiddetectors are activated by the transmitter.